Should I get square toe or round toe boots?
Round toe boots are the best option for cowboys who need to slide their feet easily in and out of stirrups, but still want a roomy toe box for their wide feet. Square boots are a great choice for cowboy work boots because they have the most toe and forefoot space of any toe shape. People who experience swelling or discomfort after long hours wearing boots are better served with square toe boots.
Cowboy boots aren’t just a fashion choice.
For many hard-working men around the country, they’re a way of life.
Lower leg protection, sturdy midfoot support for sitting in a saddle, thick cushioning for walking and riding long hours, a good pair of cowboy boots has and does it all.
Most of the best-looking cowboy boots on the market (including my personal favorite, the Tecovas Cartwright) are built with the “regular” toe, the sharply pointed shape we all immediately recognize.
But for guys (like me) who need more space for their wider feet and thicker, longer toes, the square and rounded toe designs offer a better, more comfortable option.
In this article, I’ll examine the two toe shapes to help you choose which is the right choice for your particular feet.
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Which are Better: Square Toe or Round Toe Cowboy Boots?
Let’s get one thing clear: both round and square toe cowboy boots have more room in the forefoot and toe box than the “regular” or “snip toe” boots most of us instantly recognize as the “classic cowboy boot”.
The “snip toe” is a sharper, narrower, and slightly elongated version of the triangular-tipped “regular toe”. This sleek toe design is intended to make it easy to slide your feet in and out of stirrups without catching.
The round toe isn’t quite as sleek, but it’s still slim enough that you shouldn’t have to worry about your boots getting caught in the stirrups as you mount or dismount. As you’ll see below, this toe is typically used in a number of boot styles specific for both riding and walking.
The square toe, on the other hand, is a bit wider by design. They are more likely to get caught on your stirrups, and because their toe is flat (square), they won’t slide as easily in or out. For this reason, many of the cowboy work boots designed with the square toe tend to be the sort of boots you wear mostly while working on your feet rather than in the saddle.
For Work
Working in Round Toe Boots
If your work involves spending a lot of time in the saddle, round-toe is the better choice for work boots.
With the round toe, you still get plenty of space for your feet (great for guys with wide feet, or who experience swelling from long hours of riding and walking) but the rounded toe of your boot makes it easy to slide your feet in and out of your stirrups.
My favorite pair of roper boots, Tecovas’ The Earl, has a rounded toe in order to make it comfortable for you to ride as well as walk (when dismounting to finish roping cattle or mending fences).
For a top-quality but surprisingly affordable pair of roper boots, the Tecovas Earl is my top recommendation. They’ll be comfortable for a long day on your feet as well as in the saddle, and have the look, feel, and durability that makes them a very smart investment for any farm or ranch work.
In fact, the majority of roper boots opt for the toe design to maximize versatility, as do many western riding boots, walking boots, buckaroo boots, and Stockman boots.
But for guys with extra-wide feet (size “E” or wider), even the round toe design might fail to offer enough space in the forefoot and toe box. Though it’s roomier than the snip or regular toe, even the round toe might not be sufficiently roomy for guys with very wide forefeet and thick, long toes.
And that’s where the square toe comes in.
Working in Square Toe Boots
The square toe accommodates wide feet, preventing the boots from pinching or squeezing your forefeet.
The roominess also prevents your feet from growing uncomfortable if they swell up after a long day of riding and/or walking.
Of course, thanks to the extra forefoot space, square toe boots are the most comfortable to use for walking. Many square toe cowboy boots have ample cushioning (they’re built for a very specific type of cowboy that needs good support), but are built with even more space to add in custom inserts.
If you’re going to spend long hours walking, you’ll likely find you are more comfortable in square-toe boots. That’s why so many cowboy work boots, walking boots, and Buckaroo boots are built with this toe shape.
However, be warned: square toe boots don’t slide as easily in and out of stirrups. They may even hinder you while mounting up.
Note: For really big feet (size “EE” or wider), there’s also the “broad square toe”, an extra-wide version of the standard square toe.
These boots are easier to pull on and pull off and they're solid everyday boots that don't cost a fortune.
For Style
A big part of wearing cowboy boots is styling them with the right outfit.
It might not be important when you’re wearing them out on the range, at the ranch, or working around your farm. After all, no one’s going to care what your work footwear looks like—all that matters is that the boots are up to whatever tasks you’re doing.
But for those weekend days out on the town, date night with your honey, church meetings, or any other social event, you’ll want to make sure your boots are styled properly.
To paraphrase what the great theologian Erasmus said, “Clothes and boots make the man.”
Styling Round Toe Boots
Round toe boots are the “accepted” choice for dress or formal cowboy boots. You can pair them with your “Sunday best” or your best pair of “date night jeans”.
To really step up your game, consider a more exotic material than leather. For example, Ariat’s Bench Made Clanton boots are fashioned from caiman crocodile leather that looks truly stylish and eye-catching when paired with a crisp pair of dark blue or black jeans.
But what makes round toe boots so great is that they can be your choice of casual footwear, too. You don’t have to get all buttoned up and dapper; just throw on your favorite T-shirt and faded jeans for a relaxing weekend running errands or hanging out with your buddies.
These are fashioned from caiman crocodile leather that looks truly stylish and eye-catching when paired with a crisp pair of dark blue or black jeans.
Styling Square Toe Boots
Square toe boots are typically more work-oriented, meaning you’ll wear them on the work days with your standard work outfits. They’ll be your everyday go-to for long hours on your feet.
Come the weekend, they’re certainly comfortable enough to wear around town.
For fancy events, though, they’re not really the right pick. As I mentioned above, round toe boots are the more common choice for dress/formal events. Square toe boots tend to emphasize “function” far more than “form”.
However, if you’ve got really wide feet and the round-toe style just doesn’t work for you, you’ve kind of got no other choice but to wear square toe boots for more formal events. You can find a wide range of gorgeous boots made using premium leather (like Tecovas’ The Doc) or opt for a more exotic material (like the ostrich foot leather used for Ariat’s Gallup Western Boot).
Square Peg, Round Hole?
At the end of the day, the choice between round or square-toed cowboy boots is actually fairly simple.
Round toe boots are the best for formal events where you need to dress up, or for anyone who will spend any significant amount of time in a saddle as well as on their feet.
Square toe boots, on the other hand, are ideal for guys who need extra room in their boots to accommodate wider feet, and for anyone who will spend a lot of time walking or hiking.
FAQs
What’s the point of square toe boots?
Square toe boots are designed with extra room on the forefoot/toe box to accommodate wider feet. They can be a life-saver for guys who find the rounded, snip, regular, and even almond toe boot designs press/squeeze their feet painfully.
People who frequently experience swelling in their feet (due to sitting/standing in one position for too long, walking long distances, or poor circulation) may also find the extra-wide toe box is a more comfortable choice.
Do real cowboys wear square toe boots?
Cowboys who spend a lot of their time in the saddle will usually opt for the round, regular, or snip toe shape. These shapes are narrower and slide in and out of stirrups more easily. They’re better suited to mounting and dismounting quickly, as there’s little risk of the boot getting caught.
Cowboys who spend a lot of time on their feet, however, may prefer the extra forefoot/toe room of square toe boots.
What is the traditional toe shape for cowboy boots?
The “classic” or “regular” toe shape (also called R toe) is considered the “traditional” design for cowboy boots. The pointed toe (also called 1 toe or J toe) came into popularity in the 1950s, and the snip toe (also called D toe, N toe, or X toe) is even newer.
However, all three toe shapes feature the same triangular sides that make it easy to slide your feet in and out of stirrups. It’s only the angle of sharpness that changes from shape to shape.
